“Although we don’t know for sure at this point, the violence and terrorist act he is suspected of having committed may have been a product of his evolving personality, which may have allowed him to be swayed by an ideology or a group’s terrorist rhetoric.”

BUFFALO, N.Y. – A University at Buffalo forensic
psychologist who studies terrorism, violence and aggression,
observes that the Tsarnaev brothers suspected of planting the
Boston Marathon bombs share characteristics with others who have
participated in terrorist acts.

Daniel Antonius, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry in the
UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, is an expert on the
neurobiological, behavioral, and societal factors that underlie
emotions and aggression. His research interests include tracing how
aggressive behavior develops and studying how aggressive acts,
including terrorism, affect the general public and
policymaking.

“A picture is starting to develop in which the older
br0ther, Tamerlan, appears to have had a difficult time adjusting
to American life after coming to the U.S. in 2003,” says
Antonius. “He appears to have felt disenfranchised and became
increasingly isolated with time.

“Joining a radical religious group or ideology may have
given Tamerlan a sense of belonging and an identity that he
craved,” Antonius continues. “Although we don’t
know for sure at this point, the violence and terrorist act he is
suspected of having committed may have been a product of his
evolving personality, which may have allowed him to be swayed by an
ideology or a group’s terrorist rhetoric. “

Antonius notes that this is not atypical for those involved in
terrorism. “It is most probable that the terrorist’s
personality evolves over time and is influenced by the interaction
of various factors,” he says. “For example, a person
may join a group at first based on non-violent religious or
political views, but over time, his ideology and personality is
shaped by this experience. Once the group starts engaging in
violence, he begins to see the enemy as evil and threatening to his
group’s ideology. The rationale for violent acts then
supersedes the desire to avoid violence.”

He says that there often is a difference between those who end
up as terrorist leaders versus those who are considered idealist or
naïve followers. “Some argue that the leaders are more
likely to exhibit a history of troubling personality
characteristics, such as antisocial and narcissistic traits,”
he explains. “These are the people who are more callous and
more likely to use violence, showing little or no remorse for their
actions and a disregard for social norms.

“In the end, the terrorist’s psychological makeup
probably consists of a myriad of evolving factors and there is a
great deal of heterogeneity,” Antonius says.
“Interestingly, the general consensus is that most
terrorists do not meet criteria for a mental disorder,” he
adds.

As director of forensic research in the UB Department of
Psychiatry and at Erie County Forensic Mental Health Services,
Antonius works with defendants who have a mental illness or who
need to be assessed for mental health problems.

He also conducts psychological testing to assess risk
propensity, personality characteristics, cognitive impairment and
other issues related to legal matters, such as competency to stand
trial and mental health defenses.

Antonius co-edited the forthcoming book, The Political
Psychology of Terrorism Fears, (Oxford University Press, 2013) with
Samuel J.Sinclair, and is the founding co-editor of the journal,
Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression. He is
the recipient of awards from the Association for Threat Assessment
Professionals, the International Society for Research on
Aggression, and the American Psychological Foundation.